New Orleans Neighborhoods Partnership Network

April 13th 2009

Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Reacts to the Master Plan

by Jennifer Weishaupt, President of the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization

On Friday March 20th, the draft Master Plan was released. For many neighborhood organizations, this 400 page document is intimidating, to say the least. Like many others, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization (MCNO) flipped first to the “heart” of the document—Chapter 16 Land Use. We were aghast, surely there was a mistake and our neighborhood should have more of these “sunny” orange swaths (indicating Residential 1-2 family use)? Instead we found that we were “dreary”- dominated by brown (multi-family low density), maroon (multi-family medium density), and dark gray (urban village) blotches. We mobilized into action, contacting Goody Clancy for guidance. We were assured that this is a draft and our feedback was needed to be sure the Master Plan gets it right.

To gather that feedback, MCNO hosted an engagement session with residents, business owners and property owners to discuss the proposed Land Use for Mid-City and Faubourg St. John neighborhoods. Matthew Smith, a planner with Goody Clancy, and Leslie Alley, Deputy Director of the City Planning Commission, participated in the forum by presenting an overview of the plan and answering audience questions and comments. Over 350 people were in attendance, clearly demonstrating the level of concern for the drastic changes outlined for our Land Use.

The forum allowed residents to learn more about the plan and to provide direct feedback to the planners about what exists in our neighborhood today, and what we envision for tomorrow. This feedback will be incorporated into a formal comment document that MCNO will submit at our District 4 Planning Meeting (April 22nd).

All neighborhood organizations should take the time to review the proposed Land Use and other aspects of the Master Plan, since this will affect us for decades to come. Goody Clancy and the City Planning Commission were very responsive to MCNO, and indicated that they seek opportunities to engage with other neighborhoods as well. You can contact Goody Clancy at .